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Language and Legal Proceedings

Analysing Courtroom Discourse in Cameroon

  • Book
  • © 2021

Overview

Authors:
  1. Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake

    1. Buea, Cameroon

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  • Applies forensic linguistics methods and theories to an African context, previously under-examined in the literature
  • Interrogates the concept of the illocutionary act in light of courtroom discourse in Cameroon
  • Draws on 37 transcripts of genuine court cases in the Courts of First Instance of Buea, Bafoussam, and Ngaoundéré

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
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  2. Introduction

    • Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake
    Pages 1-7

  3. The Legal System and Language Policy of Cameroon

    • Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake
    Pages 9-18

  4. Forensic Linguistic Studies Outside the Borders of Cameroon

    • Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake
    Pages 19-50

  5. Cameroon Courtroom Discourse Analysis

    • Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake
    Pages 51-86

  6. Consultation with Legal Professionals

    • Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake
    Pages 87-100

  7. Concluding Remarks

    • Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake
    Pages 101-108

  8. Back Matter

    Pages 109-120
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Keywords

About this book

This book investigates language-related problems which arise in courtroom discourse in the Republic of Cameroon, in Central Africa. While Cameroon has over 250 national languages, court cases are conducted in the two official languages: English and French. This is despite the fact that 40% of the adult population is illiterate in these languages, and means that lay litigants often encounter language-related problems during trials. In this study, the author makes use of Speech Act Theory and Interactional Sociolinguistics to analyse the speech acts of both legal professionals and lay litigants as observed in 37 legal cases, demonstrating how the use of exoglossic languages in a highly multilingual nation constitutes a serious issue. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of Forensic Linguistics, Language Policy and Planning, and Discourse Analysis, particularly those with an interest in the African context.


Reviews

“The book, which consists of six chapters, is based on qualitative research methods. … Any legal linguist who sets out to research the linguistic asymmetries between legal and lay participants in courtroom interaction in a multilingual African environment has to use this book as their starting point.” (Par Deginet Wotango Doyiso, Linguistique et Langues Africaines, Vol. 8 (1), 2022)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Buea, Cameroon

    Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake

About the author

Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake is an independent researcher based in Buea, Cameroon. She holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Buea, Cameroon, and during her studies she was granted a six-month research stay at the Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany, sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. She has published a number of research articles on courtroom discourse analysis. 

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Language and Legal Proceedings

  • Book Subtitle: Analysing Courtroom Discourse in Cameroon

  • Authors: Endurence Midinette Koumassol Dissake

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76349-7

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-76348-0Published: 18 June 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-76349-7Published: 17 June 2021

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XV, 120

  • Number of Illustrations: 6 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Applied Linguistics, Socio-legal Studies, Language Policy and Planning, Social Sciences, general, African Languages

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